Poll: 77% of 'Soviet' olim support Arab transfer
Survey conducted by Israel Democracy Institute focuses on integration of
immigrants from former Soviet Union into Israeli society after 20 years of
aliyah. 2009 Democracy Index finds immigrants tend to be more hawkish,
believe less in Israeli democracy, and are much more pessimistic.
Ynet Published: 08.03.09, 14:35 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3756355,00.html
The 2009 Democracy Index, published by the Israel Democracy Institute on
Sunday, reveals marked differences between the immigrant population from the
former Soviet Union and the general population in Israel.
The IDI's 2009 Democracy Index was handed to President Shimon Peres Monday.
The survey was carried out in March 2009 on a sample representative of the
adult population in Israel of 1,191 respondents. The respondents were
interviewed in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian. The sampling
error is 2.8%.
Eviction
Around half of the public feel that they are unable to influence government
policy, but almost 80% feel that they are able to change things in different
frameworks in which they live, work or study. It should be emphasized that
among immigrants the sense of influence is the lowest, with more than 40% of
them feeling that they have no ability to change things within any of these
frameworks.
The Israeli public believes in freedom of expression as a general value, but
for the most part refuses to allow harsh criticism to be expressed against
the state. 74% support “Freedom of expression for everyone, regardless of
their opinions.” However, 58% agree that “political speech should not be
permitted to express harsh criticism of the state of Israel.” This is a
significant increase as compared to 48% in 2003.
Growing support for denying Arabs' rights
53% of the Jewish public supports encouraging Arabs to emigrate from Israel.
77% of immigrants support this idea, compared with 47% of the veteran
public. 33% of veteran Jews are accepting of the inclusion of Arab parties
in the government, by comparison with 23% of immigrants.
Only 27% of respondents objected to the statement that there should be “a
Jewish majority in decisions relating to the fate of the country,” by
comparison with 2003, when 38% objected to this statement. These figures
indicate relatively broad support for decreasing the political rights of
Israel’s Arab minority.
54% of the general public (Jews and Arabs) agrees that “only citizens who
are loyal to the state are entitled to benefit from civil rights” (56% of
the veterans, 67% of immigrants and 30% of the Arabs). 38% of the entire
Jewish public believe that Jewish citizens should have more rights than
non-Jewish citizens (43% of the veterans hold this belief, versus 23% of
immigrants). In addition, 41% of veteran Jews are of the opinion that
“Israeli Arabs face greater discrimination than Jewish Israelis,” compared
to 28% of immigrants holding this view.
FSU immigrants more hawkish
The use of violence: 33% of immigrants from the FSU think that political
violence is legitimate, as compared to 35% of Israeli Arabs and 22% of
veteran Israelis. Among the general public, the greatest legitimacy is given
to the use of political violence by young people aged 18 to 30, at 27%.
Evacuating settlements: 48% of Israelis are not prepared to evacuate any
settlements within the framework of a permanent agreement; 37% are prepared
for the evacuation of isolated settlements; and 15% are prepared to evacuate
all the settlements over the green line.
The position of the immigrants from the FSU is more hawkish than that of the
general Jewish public: 64% are not prepared for settlements to be evacuated
in the framework of a permanent agreement; 30% are prepared for the
evacuation of isolated settlements; and 6% are prepared to evacuate all the
settlements.
Desire to live in Israel
In the 31-40 age group (parents of children up to the age of 18), 80% of
veteran Israelis are certain that they want to raise their children in
Israel, compared to only 28% of immigrants from the FSU. 92% of the veterans
have some degree of desire to see their “children or grandchildren live in
Israel”, as compared to 74% of immigrants.
In light of the weight that the immigrant population gives to security
issues, it is possible that one of the explanations for these findings is
that more than half of the immigrants from the FSU live in peripheral
settlements in the north and south, which have suffered from an insecure
security situation and have lived under considerable threat in recent years.
Only 50% of immigrants aged 18 to 30 are certain that they want to live in
Israel, by comparison with 77% of veteran Israelis in this age bracket. In
the older age group, the percentage of immigrants wanting to live in Israel
is comparable to that of veteran Israelis.
Among immigrants from the FSU, there is a significant reduction in the
percentage of people who are certain that they want to live in Israel. This
trend is particularly notable among young people, with only 48% of
immigrants up to the age of 40 being certain that they want to live here (as
compared to 59% in 2007). A decrease in the desire to live in Israel was
also characteristic of young veteran Israelis at the end of the Second
Lebanon War, but this group has seen an impressive recovery, and as of 2009
the level has returned to pre-2006 figures (80%).
Both immigrants and veterans cite security and economic conditions as the
primary reasons that they would leave the country, although 81% of
immigrants—as opposed to 59% of veteran Israelis—claim that the security
situation is the main reason for wanting to leave Israel.
Approximately half of Israelis feel that the important condition for being
“really Israeli” is to be born in Israel.
--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
Survey conducted by Israel Democracy Institute focuses on integration of
immigrants from former Soviet Union into Israeli society after 20 years of
aliyah. 2009 Democracy Index finds immigrants tend to be more hawkish,
believe less in Israeli democracy, and are much more pessimistic.
Ynet Published: 08.03.09, 14:35 / Israel News
www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3756355,00.html
The 2009 Democracy Index, published by the Israel Democracy Institute on
Sunday, reveals marked differences between the immigrant population from the
former Soviet Union and the general population in Israel.
The IDI's 2009 Democracy Index was handed to President Shimon Peres Monday.
The survey was carried out in March 2009 on a sample representative of the
adult population in Israel of 1,191 respondents. The respondents were
interviewed in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian. The sampling
error is 2.8%.
Eviction
Around half of the public feel that they are unable to influence government
policy, but almost 80% feel that they are able to change things in different
frameworks in which they live, work or study. It should be emphasized that
among immigrants the sense of influence is the lowest, with more than 40% of
them feeling that they have no ability to change things within any of these
frameworks.
The Israeli public believes in freedom of expression as a general value, but
for the most part refuses to allow harsh criticism to be expressed against
the state. 74% support “Freedom of expression for everyone, regardless of
their opinions.” However, 58% agree that “political speech should not be
permitted to express harsh criticism of the state of Israel.” This is a
significant increase as compared to 48% in 2003.
Growing support for denying Arabs' rights
53% of the Jewish public supports encouraging Arabs to emigrate from Israel.
77% of immigrants support this idea, compared with 47% of the veteran
public. 33% of veteran Jews are accepting of the inclusion of Arab parties
in the government, by comparison with 23% of immigrants.
Only 27% of respondents objected to the statement that there should be “a
Jewish majority in decisions relating to the fate of the country,” by
comparison with 2003, when 38% objected to this statement. These figures
indicate relatively broad support for decreasing the political rights of
Israel’s Arab minority.
54% of the general public (Jews and Arabs) agrees that “only citizens who
are loyal to the state are entitled to benefit from civil rights” (56% of
the veterans, 67% of immigrants and 30% of the Arabs). 38% of the entire
Jewish public believe that Jewish citizens should have more rights than
non-Jewish citizens (43% of the veterans hold this belief, versus 23% of
immigrants). In addition, 41% of veteran Jews are of the opinion that
“Israeli Arabs face greater discrimination than Jewish Israelis,” compared
to 28% of immigrants holding this view.
FSU immigrants more hawkish
The use of violence: 33% of immigrants from the FSU think that political
violence is legitimate, as compared to 35% of Israeli Arabs and 22% of
veteran Israelis. Among the general public, the greatest legitimacy is given
to the use of political violence by young people aged 18 to 30, at 27%.
Evacuating settlements: 48% of Israelis are not prepared to evacuate any
settlements within the framework of a permanent agreement; 37% are prepared
for the evacuation of isolated settlements; and 15% are prepared to evacuate
all the settlements over the green line.
The position of the immigrants from the FSU is more hawkish than that of the
general Jewish public: 64% are not prepared for settlements to be evacuated
in the framework of a permanent agreement; 30% are prepared for the
evacuation of isolated settlements; and 6% are prepared to evacuate all the
settlements.
Desire to live in Israel
In the 31-40 age group (parents of children up to the age of 18), 80% of
veteran Israelis are certain that they want to raise their children in
Israel, compared to only 28% of immigrants from the FSU. 92% of the veterans
have some degree of desire to see their “children or grandchildren live in
Israel”, as compared to 74% of immigrants.
In light of the weight that the immigrant population gives to security
issues, it is possible that one of the explanations for these findings is
that more than half of the immigrants from the FSU live in peripheral
settlements in the north and south, which have suffered from an insecure
security situation and have lived under considerable threat in recent years.
Only 50% of immigrants aged 18 to 30 are certain that they want to live in
Israel, by comparison with 77% of veteran Israelis in this age bracket. In
the older age group, the percentage of immigrants wanting to live in Israel
is comparable to that of veteran Israelis.
Among immigrants from the FSU, there is a significant reduction in the
percentage of people who are certain that they want to live in Israel. This
trend is particularly notable among young people, with only 48% of
immigrants up to the age of 40 being certain that they want to live here (as
compared to 59% in 2007). A decrease in the desire to live in Israel was
also characteristic of young veteran Israelis at the end of the Second
Lebanon War, but this group has seen an impressive recovery, and as of 2009
the level has returned to pre-2006 figures (80%).
Both immigrants and veterans cite security and economic conditions as the
primary reasons that they would leave the country, although 81% of
immigrants—as opposed to 59% of veteran Israelis—claim that the security
situation is the main reason for wanting to leave Israel.
Approximately half of Israelis feel that the important condition for being
“really Israeli” is to be born in Israel.
--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
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